


Little White Lies

by turnedherbrain



Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Hugs, Leotilda, Love, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turnedherbrain/pseuds/turnedherbrain
Summary: Post-s2 fic.After the events of ‘Resistance’, Leo and Mattie get to know one another better: in new circumstances, and with new secrets they need to tell each other.





	Little White Lies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Proskenion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proskenion/gifts).



> This follows on from ['Resistance'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13358166), so the situation and some of the characters won't really make sense if you haven't read that fic - sorry!

Mattie woke up and slowly adjusted to her surroundings – the half-light of dawn; the person sleeping next to her. She liked these moments: that time of day when the world hadn’t woken, when she could pretend they were a couple of castaways in some millionaire’s secret resort. Her waking routine at home had been a few moments of quiet, interrupted by Soph entering and bouncing on her bed, and her mum calling her to get dressed. This was different. This was blissful and still, despite the tumult in the world outside.

She looked at Leo’s face. He was curled up on his side, the duvet tucked under his chin. She was still slightly embarrassed that she liked looking at him like this, when he slept. She didn’t want him to wake and find her there, focussed on him. He might get… well, he might get slushy. And Mattie was denying a whole lot of slushiness right now, but it was escaping in a swelling tide of feeling that she couldn’t continue to ignore.

Leo slept like a child slept – deeply and soundly. She thought it might be from all the nights he’d had to find a bed where he could. Where they were now, in comparison, was living like kings.

Where they were, was supposedly another half-way house. The description wasn’t really fitting though, because compared to the remote Scottish underground, this was a veritable Kentish palace. Hobb had made a lot of deals, and made a lot of money. Now, he was housing a lot of strays – a few human; the remainder, synthetics who were more human than humans. Mattie couldn’t decide whether to trust Hobb yet: not after all he’d done. She held him at arm’s length, warily.

She took one more fleeting, indulgent look at the sleeping Leo, then regretfully, went to have a shower.

Coming out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, she discovered that Leo had woken up, his hair looking like he’d slept upside down while someone had ruffled it continuously. Seeing her, he hastily and not very secretively stashed his phone under the covers.

“Morning,” he smiled. “Cup of tea?”

“Mmmm, yes please,” Mattie replied, wrapping the towel round her head.

Leo jumped out of bed and enfolded her in an extra-long hug. ‘Stop it stop it stop it. Leave. Me. Alone, Feelings,’ thought Mattie. He bent his head so his lips were close to her neck; she could feel his warm breath on her skin.

“Mmmm,” murmured Leo, staying exactly where he was for a while. Mattie stoppered her tumbling feelings, yet again. Eventually, Leo admonished himself: “Sorry – tea!” before tripping out of the room.

Mattie went to make the bed. Shaking out the duvet, she saw Leo’s phone flip out onto the bedsheet. It was buzzing with an incoming call and, curious, she picked it up. Withheld number. His home screen was dense with incoming messages too, like someone was trying to contact him urgently. She didn’t mean to look – but then she did: _‘I miss you so much. Please meet me.’_

Mattie wasn’t sure what to do. She was a strong woman with a stronger mind, yet here she was, suddenly suspecting… no, it couldn’t be. With who? She didn’t know all of Leo’s past... She put the phone back onto the bedside table, and tried not to think about the message, but it was emblazoned in neon letters in her mind.

So much for having an imperfect human memory. Some things, once you’ve seen them, you can’t forget.

……………

Leo started acting more strangely over the next couple of days. Normally, in their ragtag community, he would spend the most time with Mattie; or Max, or Mia, or Zero. Sometimes he would help Max give Zero her lessons – although really, she needed no help at all. She was already the Siri of synths and what she didn’t know, they couldn’t teach her. It was more moral guidance on how to behave – like: don’t lie, don’t cheat or steal. Zero still had the emotional innocence of a child though. It was a topsy-turvy mixture, like the feelings of a young schoolgirl had been grafted onto a mind superior to Da Vinci’s.

But the last couple of days, Leo had missed assisting at Zero’s lessons. And on the third occasion, he’d been late for their communal dinner – for those in the house that ate, rather than charged. Mattie started to sneak looks at his phone when it buzzed on a tabletop, or cast surreptitious glances when he hauled it out of his jeans pocket.

Something was going on, and he wasn’t telling her.

Mattie wondered who she could ask about her predicament. Her mum? No, too feisty. They’d be worse off. Her dad? No, no, no. Niska? Nope. Max? Completely trustworthy, but far too busy. Mia then. She would be as wise and reliable as always, but not guaranteed to keep it secret from Leo. Then, gentle Odi? As much as she loved Odi, they were still trying to work out how his wondrous mechanism worked. Athena and Hobb were with him constantly, like curators of some priceless but fragile treasure.

That left Jack, or Zero. Jack was more worldly-wise, but more conspicuous, with his distinctive Scottish burr. Zero? Zero it was. Fortunately, like a child would do, she had transferred her adoring affections from Leo onto Max, gazing at him in tutorials with an undisguised awe that approached reverence. Flash, unlike Mattie, was unperturbed that her boyfriend was on the receiving end of some serious hero worship.

Zero might help. She was discreet, and respectful, and Mattie was sure that she wouldn’t give her away. It was only a small white lie, after all. Mattie approached Zero and asked the favour. If the synth’s eyes could give away her feelings, Zero would have looked surprised. “Leo? I cannot believe it.”

“He **is** human,” said Mattie. “Humans can lie, sometimes.”

“But he…” Zero looked like she was about to say something, but then stopped herself.

“‘But he’, what?” asked Mattie. Really, this wasn’t like her at all to suspect, but the worm of doubt had squirmed its way in.

“I… don’t know,” replied Zero, confusingly. She didn’t want to lie to Mattie, but she could not tell her the truth either. She knew this was called: human ethics. Max had taught her the elementary aspects. Zero had then accessed over a million online resources and wise authors, who told her: you may obscure the truth, if it’s to avoid hurting a person or spoiling a surprise. A little white lie.

……………

Leo disappeared off that day for the longest time. A reluctant Zero went after him, with her baseball cap pulled down, wearing contact lenses and in a set of baggy clothes that she’d borrowed. Mattie got to work on some coding, to keep her mind and eyes off the clock. She began to wonder what was worse – the knowledge of what Leo’s secret might be, or somehow staying in blissful ignorance.

Zero came back in the late afternoon, walking into the house still wearing her baseball cap. Mattie motioned for them to go into Hobb’s study, so they could talk uninterrupted.

“He is meeting his father,” said Zero. “It’s not what you suspected.”

Mattie felt a wave of relief, followed by a whole heap of confusion: “His father? But the last time we saw David, practically his whole family denounced him… Niska threatened to kill him! If she even knew he was anywhere near here...”

“Yes. That is why Leo is meeting him in secret. He does not want the others to know,” remarked Zero. “May I go now?”

“Of course! You don’t have to ask my permission. And thank you so much, Zero, for doing this for me,” replied Mattie gratefully. “I should have trusted him. I’m such an idiot.”

“No, you are not. You are very clever, Mattie. However, you should not doubt him. He will never be unfaithful to you. He’s…” again, Zero appeared to stop herself, bowing her head slightly before retreating out of the room.

……………

Mattie confessed to Leo that night, when he’d finally returned. She told him about seeing the message, observing his secretive behaviour and what she’d suspected. She told him how she’d found out where he was going, and who he was meeting. She was truly ashamed of her behaviour. But he’d kept the truth from her too, and she wanted an explanation.

To her surprise, Leo wasn’t angry. He simply looked very tired and vulnerable, sinking down onto their bed when he gave his explanation: “Hobb’s been in contact with my father, in secret. God knows how he found him. Hobb wants to collaborate with him; to take advantage of Odi’s ‘unique gift’ – that’s what my father said he called it. He basically wants to sell Odi to the highest bidder, like some disgusting auction.”

“How do you know you can trust your father?” asked Mattie, her brow wrinkled. She came to sit beside him on the bed.

“Because… because I know that he loves me,” said Leo simply. “He’s always tried to do his best for me, but always in the most misguided ways. I think he’s finally… _finally_ … beginning to understand. I didn’t need a replacement family, even though he thought that was the best thing. I just needed his love.”

“Oh, Leo,” whispered Mattie, and this time it was she who embraced him, and then held on for longer than she’d ever done before.

……………

Mattie and Leo decided to keep their secret under wraps: for now. The others – Niska especially – would consider David a highly unreliable informant, to put it mildly. The next day, they took it in turns to monitor Hobb, although this proved difficult, since he was often closeted with Odi. So they enrolled a co-conspirator, Athena, who admitted she wasn’t surprised by any of it – Hobb’s potential double-dealing, or David’s sudden re-appearance. She promised to do everything in her power to help find out the real truth.

That evening, they sat down to an otherwise empty table – neither Athena nor Hobb had turned up.

“I guess it’s just us,” said Mattie, secretly happy they had time to themselves, especially without the awkwardness of facing Hobb and having to dissemble. “What do you fancy eating?”

“Hmmm, well, let me see,” mused Leo, looking in the fridge. “There’s some leftover soup, half a jar of Marmite, an out-of-date yoghurt… Not much to make a meal out of.” He smiled. “It’s a good job I ordered in.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Mattie. “I’ve had enough little white lies to last me for the next decade, you know.”

“Just come with me,” said Leo, taking her hand gently and guiding her into the lounge. Next to the fireplace, a table for two had been set up, and the meal was already awaiting them. There was a pearl-white tablecloth and bright flowers in a vase. It was simple, but it affected Mattie so much. She couldn’t stop her feelings escaping; they were fluttering everywhere.

“Leo… why?” she said, looking over at him happily.

“Because. Because I want you to know that you’re special. Forget this situation, forget everything else that’s happening right now. You know that you can always trust me. You and me: we’re a team, remember?” said Leo seriously.

“And we make a great team,” murmured Mattie. Then a sudden realisation came to her. “Oh – oh wait! Did Zero know about this?”

Leo allowed himself a small grin: “I may have had some help from Mia and Zero. I swore them to secrecy when I was preparing this little surprise. So we’ve both encouraged Zero to tell little white lies…” he considered, adding with deliberate irony: “Although she’s read all the theories of ethics and most Western philosophy by now, so she understands the few occasions when a white lie is better than the truth.”

……………

Later, drowsy and contented from their dinner, they curled up around each other in bed. The moon was a shining curve in the sky, and the dark night was peaceful and still, like the world had halted just for them. Leo hugged Mattie to him and bent his head into the incline of her neck, until they were as close as it was humanly possible to be.

“Mattie?” he asked, with trepidation.

“Hmmmm?”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Mmmmm.”

And he whispered something short but significant into her ear, and her feelings took flight and burned a trail into the starlit sky.

Turning to face him, she said without any doubt: “I love you, too.”


End file.
